OPPOSITION Q&A

David discusses the Cards

ABOUT ME

My first game was Woking’s debut home game in the Conference in 1992. I’m been the club photographer now for 17 years. I evolved into this role by taking pics for fun as a supporter. The club asked to use them from away games as the then club guy didn’t travel. I took over from him when he retired.

HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR 22-23

Expectations – top half after a couple of lean years. Hopes – play offs.

THE START TO THIS SEASON

Mixed. First game was up at York. Their first game back, new stadium, huge crowd, we were awful. A couple of decent wins followed by another defeat, though that (Barnet) in a game where we had 24 attempts on goal to around 6. Last night we gave Wrexham a considerable run for their money, only going down 2-3 playing with 10 men for over 70 minutes.

SUMMER SIGNINGS

Darren went for experience at the back with Luke Wilkinson and Scott Macbeth, both highly professional and with known leadership qualities – Luke had been captain at Yeovil for 3 years. In came younger legs in full back Dan Moss and forwards Rickie Korboa and James Daly, the latter with considerable pace. Probably the best known recruit was Padraig Amond, who boasts an impressive scoring record over a long career.

KEY PLAYERS

The player who’s impressed the most has done you a great favour by getting sent off against Wrexham!! This is Kyran Lofthouse, who has made a very impressive start, adding goals to explosive dribbling.

THE MANAGER

I did Darren’s first interview when he joined the club. I asked him this and he was clear that he is a 4-4-2 man. He also said that if “you don’t run and tackle, you don’t get in my team”. He tells me now that he is loving being at Woking and has a superb relationship with the club’s American owners who ‘get’ him.

STARTING LINE-UP

I imagine the only change from Saturday will be Jack Roles (who Darren thinks very highly of) coming in for Lofthouse, unless anyone has picked up an injury. Jack returned to the bench yesterday following an injury and came on, so may start.

CARDS AWAY SUPPORT

Maybe a couple of hundred will make the trip down to Plainmoor.

PROMOTION CONTENDERS

Clearly Chesterfield are ‘going for it’; Wrexham are obvious; Notts and Solihull if they can get it right. I always take the view that getting out of this league is about having the right manager. So many clubs have come into the league with parachute payments and huge budgets and still taken years to get back up. Managing in this league is different and when these clubs get the right man, they make it back. We’ll see which clubs have got it right as the season unfolds.